


Stake Your Claim

by scifishipper



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: D/s relationship, Established Relationship, Forgiveness, M/M, Ownership, Pie Day, Romance, collaring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 22:08:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3545528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scifishipper/pseuds/scifishipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a newer dom, Zach didn't quite understand what it meant when Chris asked for a collar. Now, with their relationship in jeopardy, Zach tries to make it right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stake Your Claim

Chris straightens his shirt and grabs his wristwatch from the tray on his dresser. He glances at his profile in the mirror as he slips the band around his wrist, adding the last details to his outfit before he puts on his dinner jacket. In the hallway, he hears Zach’s footsteps and grabs his jacket to shrug it on. It’s their second anniversary and Zach’s promised something special.

“Stop what you’re doing,” Zach’s deep voice commands and Chris freezes. He’s got one arm in his jacket, the other dangling behind him. 

“Zach? What’s going on?” Chris turns his head to see the outline of Zach’s shoulder against the door frame.

“Everything’s okay. I’ve got you,” Zach says, familiar words Chris hasn’t heard in a while. They spread over him like a warm bath. It’s what Zach has always said to initiate their play.

“O-okay” Chris stutters, licking his lips, stomach fluttering with anticipation. He glances around the room, wonders if this means that dinner’s off…

A moment later, Zach is behind him, warm hands on his shoulders, breath against his neck. Zach slides his jacket all the way off and skims his hands down Chris’s sides before moving back. “Take off your clothes.” 

Chris blinks, mouth going dry. He’s not sure he’s heard him right and part of him wants to object. They haven’t done this for weeks and he’s not sure what it means that Zach wants to do it again. Chris closes his eyes and tries to resist, wants to get up and storm out and keep the distance they’ve had, but an aching part of him wants to forget he’s angry and hurt and just fucking beg. He’s torn and unsure, but his throat is tight with emotion and his dick is half-hard just from the possibility of what might come. 

_Fuck_. 

Zach owns him, and even if he refuses to claim him outright, Chris knows he can’t refuse.

With shaking fingers, Chris does as he’s told, stripping off his clothes and shivering against the room’s cool air. 

“Beautiful,” Zach says, and Chris swallows, unused to the praise, coming so soon and so…freely? He’s had to work harder for it in the past, always watching Zach’s dark eyes seeming cold and demanding until Chris is writhing for release, begging for a kind word or gesture, then drowning in it when it finally comes. Now, it’s like finding out there’s another step when you thought you’d find the floor, that flash of panic that you might fall, but don’t. His whole body flushes with excitement and fear.

“Kneel for me.” Zach’s whispers, one finger trailing down the middle of Chris’s bare back. He drops so fast that he doesn’t realize he’s done it until his knees smack the hardwood. With a shiver, he rolls himself forward, making his shoulder small and submissive. He wants to be good for Zach. He needs to be.

He’s surprised to sense Zach behind him, kneeling down, too, and sliding his arms around his waist. None of this feels familiar, not with Zach on his knees instead of towering over him. All the same, it feels good, soft and comforting, soothing the lick of anxiety that gnaws at Chris’s insides. 

Zach nuzzles the side of Chris’s neck lightly, lips just skimming over his skin. “I love you, you know that, right?” Zach says, pressing his stubble against Chris’s jaw.

“Yeah,” he answers, voice rough, uncertain why Zach’s being so sweet. Something doesn’t fit and he knows it’s because of the last time. He wants to ask questions, but more, he wants to confirm that he loves him, too, and says as much in a whisper. 

With moist breath on his shoulder, Chris lets himself sag against Zach, feels the buttons of Zach's shirt dig into his skin. This moment is special and no matter what happens tomorrow or the next day, he wants to remember this. 

“I think you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met and I know things haven’t been right between us.” Zach pulls him closer and Chris holds onto his arms. “It’s my fault and I’m sorry I didn’t understand.” 

Chris wants to reassure him, but it isn’t okay. He’s been feeling like shit and his self-doubt has been ratcheting tighter and tighter until he's felt brittle and frayed. Chris tries to speak but the words are stuck. There’s been so much he’s wanted to say and hasn’t known how.

“I got you something,” Zach says, his voice surprisingly strained. “It’s in my nightstand.”

Chris glances to his right and Zach nudges him. He crawls over and slides open the drawer, seeing a wide blue-wrapped box on top of the usual disarray of things Zach keeps in the drawer. He pulls it out carefully, testing it. It’s heavier than he expects.

“Sit facing me. I want to see you open it,” Zach says and slides down to sit cross legged on the rug. Chris pivots and sits on his knees, head down, thumb scraping along the edge of the plain silver ribbon that criss-crosses the box. He’s nervous about opening it.

“Zach…” Chris says, not quite sure what he wants to say, but feeling worried. 

It must have shown in his face because Zach leans forward and kisses him. “I’ve got you. I promise.” Zach squeezes his shoulder and Chris manages a smile. He still trusts him, even if… whatever. Chris lets out a breath. 

After a pause, Zach speaks quietly, “I fucked up, Chris. Last time…you know?”

Zach seems to be waiting, so Chris nods, not quite sure what he’s supposed to do without instructions, but unable to help himself from agreeing. Two months ago Chris asked Zach to collar him and Zach thought it was a joke. Chris hadn’t realized that Zach didn't understand and he'd been humiliated.

“Look at me,” Zach says, and Chris obeys, seeing sadness and sincerity in Zach’s brown eyes. The hardness of their past play was gone, replaced by something confusing, unnerving even. This Zach he doesn’t really know.

“I really hurt you. Something I said I wouldn’t do and things have been off since then. I haven’t known how to fix it and you wouldn’t explain.” When Chris opens his mouth to speak, Zach holds up a hand to stop him. Chris’s mouth clamps closed and he lowers his gaze again, obedient.

A moment later, Zach takes the package from his hands. He plucks the ribbon off and tears the paper precisely, easing each piece of tape off until it’s a plain white box sitting between them. "Open it,” Zach says, and Chris reaches forward using the fingertips of both hands to take off the lid. He raises the folded tissue paper and inhales sharply, eyes flying to Zach’s.

Zach reaches forward and pulls the silver and leather collar out of the box and holds it up between them. Chris can’t take his eyes off it, wants to touch it so badly. Chris bites his lip to keep from crying out. It’s perfect.

“I want you to be mine, Chris. I didn’t know what it meant to have a collar, that I’d be committing to protecting you and cherishing you. I thought it was play — just play. I just didn’t know that you needed it.” Zach tilts Chris’s chin up with one hand and Chris tears his eyes away from the collar to stare at Zach. His heart is beating painfully fast, hands shaking as he holds them tightly together.

“Do you still want to be mine?” Zach asks, expression more uncertain than Chris can ever remember seeing. 

“God, yes. I do. So much.” Chris’s eyes fill with tears and he struggles to blink them back. He didn’t, couldn’t, expect this from Zach. Since that day he’d been devastated, feeling alone and abandoned and so shamed that he couldn’t really explain to Zach what it meant to ask for the collar, to beg for Zach to claim him as his own. And in the interim, he’d thought for sure they wouldn’t make it. Chris had always known he needed more.

“I love you, Chris. I want to make you happy and I get now that this is what you need. I am sorry I didn’t know.” 

Chris just nods, eyes flitting between Zach and the collar, a ghosting sensation around his throat as he imagines how it will feel.

Zach notices his eagerness and smiles. “You want it?”

“Yes, please,” Chris answers, voice tremulous. He’s watching Zach, ready for his next command.

“Do you want to touch it?” 

Chris shakes his head, suddenly unnerved. He wants it _on_. 

With a chuckle, Zach unclasps the metal ring and opens the leather band. A thick silver knot dangles at the center of the band, catching the light as Chris watches, wide-eyed and nervous. When the cool metal touches his skin, he gasps, jerking forward slightly, his hair brushing Zach’s chin as he leans close to clasp the collar snugly around Chris’s neck.

“That okay?” Zach asks. 

Chris feels the weight of the knot, nestled in the hollow of his neck, the leather band pressed against his skin just enough that he knows it’s there. Chris nods, fingers aching to touch it. He holds himself firm, being as good as he can be, trying to deserve what Zach is giving him.

Zach tilts up Chris’s head again and kisses him softly on the lips before leaning back to appraise him. “It’s beautiful on you. You’re beautiful. You want to see?” 

“Yes, please,” Chris responds and Zach stands. 

“Come with me.” Zach’s voice is crisp and commanding and Chris obeys. 

Now and forever, he obeys.


End file.
